Caribou and Starbucks cause a divide

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For anyone living in Minnesota, there is one thing that seems to continually divide us all. It’s not the question of whether Minneapolis or St. Paul is better or the debate over whether you should invest in snow tires or not. The burning question is: which do you prefer, Caribou or Starbucks?

It’s easy for those who live in California or Florida because they only have one option. They are forced to give in to the epitome of basic coffee drinkers, that is Starbucks.

However, if you’re a resident of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Western Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina or Colorado, you have another option.

Besides what both Starbucks and Caribou offer on their menu, the feel inside the stores plays a role as to which one people prefer.

Senior Brooke Whitaker drinks both Caribou and Starbucks, but agrees with Oliver on this.

“Starbucks is more sophisticated, so I choose Caribou to do homework at because it feels more homey,” Whitaker said.

It may be hard for some to grasp, but there are people who don’t actually like coffee and therefore never drink it.

Senior Audrey Spencer is one of these people, but she still has a favorite coffee shop.

“I usually prefer Starbucks, but not in a mainstream way I just enjoy more of their drinks,” Spencer said. “I don’t drink coffee so finding a place that has more drinks than just coffee is always a bonus.”

Although Starbucks gets more of Spencer’s dollars, she isn’t opposed to Caribou.

“I would totally switch it up because I love hopping around to new coffee shops and trying out their different drinks like teas and smoothies etc,” Spencer said.

Oliver spends a lot of time at Caribou, but she might be forced to switch to the other side next year.

“I have considered working at a Starbucks next year because there won’t be any Caribous near my school, but I still want to be a barista,” Oliver said.

It’s possible for an individual living in the Midwest to enjoy both Caribou and Starbucks, but everyone prefers one or the other, whether they admit it or not.